Working Here, Looking Forward to Hereafter!

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Working Here, Looking Forward to Hereafter!

Christian Post Report – People are often fascinated with Heaven, wondering how it might look and feel. Whether in near death experiences or in dreams, some even claim to have touched the afterlife.

In a blog post shared earlier this month, Harvest Christian Fellowship Senior Pastor Greg Laurie says “those who think the most about the next life do the most in this one.”

“If you really start thinking more about Heaven and seeking Heaven, it will transform you,” writes Laurie. “As Warren Wiersbe has said, ‘Heaven is not only a destination, it’s a motivation.'”

 Source : Christian Post

A Young Christian’s Roommate Woes

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A Young Christian’s Roommate Woes

Christian Post Report – Our college aged son has a deeply troubled roommate. Not only does this roommate take drugs and consume way too much alcohol, he recently stole the keys to our son’s car during the Thanksgiving break and got into an accident.

When my son flew back to college, he also found other big problems. First, the roommate denied everything but eventually admitted it all. We are advising our son to move out but there is a third roommate involved who is our son’s best friend at university — our son does not want to get in the middle of this battle. What should we do?

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Asks Pope Francis to Pray for Him at Vatican Meeting

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Asks Pope Francis to Pray for Him at Vatican Meeting

Christian Post Report – Iran President Hassan Rouhani (L) exchanges gifts with Pope Francis at the Vatican, January 26, 2016.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met with Pope Francis at the Vatican Tuesday, and asked the pontiff for prayers as the Middle Eastern country attempts to improve its relationship with the international community.

Rouhani had a private meeting with the pope during his four-day trip in Europe, which analysts say is meant to restore ties to western powers after economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic were lifted.

During his visit, Rouhani reportedly asked the pope to pray for him, adding that visiting the Catholic holy site was a “real pleasure.”

As CNN reports, the 40-minute talk between the pope and Rouhani likely centered on humanitarian unrest in the Middle East.

“The parties highlighted the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the responsibility of religious communities in promoting reconciliation, tolerance and peace,” the Vatican said in a statement following the meeting.

The Vatican added in its statement that “during the cordial discussions, common spiritual values emerged and reference was made to the good state of relations between the Holy See and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the life of the Church in the country and the action of the Holy See to favour the promotion of the dignity of the human person and religious freedom.”

The Holy See’s statement added that the pope and the Iranian leader also discussed the global significance of Iran reducing its nuclear program.

“Attention then turned to the conclusion and application of the Nuclear Accord and the important role that Iran is called upon to fulfill, along with other countries in the region, to promote suitable political solutions to the problems afflicting the Middle East, to counter the spread of terrorism and arms trafficking. In this respect, the Parties highlighted the importance of interreligious dialogue and the responsibility of religious communities in promoting reconciliation, tolerance and peace,” the Vatican said.

Iran’s meeting comes after the United Nations and the European Union determined that economic sanctions imposed on the nation could be lifted after it complied with regulations for its nuclear program.

Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni told CNN that he believes the Iranian leader’s recent visit to Rome is indicative of Iran’s attempt to restore relationships with global powers.

“I think that the meeting of President Rouhani with the pope is one of the signals of the fact that, after the nuclear deal, we have a possibility of a relevant involvement of Iran in a regional and global framework,” Gentiloni said.

Following the recent nuclear deal, Rouhani said in a statement that the agreement was a “golden page” in the nation’s history.

“The nuclear deal is an opportunity that we should use to develop the country, improve the welfare of the nation, and create stability and security in the region,” Rouhani told parliament following the deal.

As NBC News reports, a remaining skeptic of the nuclear deal is Israel, which has argued that while Iran promises to reduce its nuclear production program, it will go against the deal and ultimately use its nuclear weapons for terroristic purposes.

Source : Christian Post

Mass Grave Reveals ISIS’ Slaughter of Women, Children in Ramadi

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Mass Grave Reveals ISIS’ Slaughter of Women, Children in Ramadi

Christian Post Report – Displaced Sunni people, who fled the violence in the city of Ramadi, arrive at the outskirts of Baghdad, May 19, 2015. Iraqi security forces on Tuesday deployed tanks and artillery around Ramadi to confront Islamic State fighters who have captured the city in a major defeat for the Baghdad government and its Western backers.

A mass grave containing 40 bodies, including women and children, has been discovered in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, which was recently liberated from the control of the Islamic State terror group.

CBS News reported Tuesday that Iraqi video footage shows local security forces and a forensics team at the scene, wearing masks and digging with shovels. Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Saad Maan confirmed, explaining that the mass grave contains the bodies of civilians and police.

A joint United Nations report from earlier in January said that as many as 18,800 people have been killed since 2014 in the ongoing Iraq war, while 3,500 women and children are being kept as IS sex slaves.

“The violence suffered by civilians in Iraq remains staggering. The so-called ‘Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ continues to commit systematic and widespread violence and abuses of international human rights law and humanitarian law. These acts may, in some instances, amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide,” the report stated.

IS has captured several major Iraqi cities, and has been involved in prolonged battles over others. Ramadi, which lies west of Baghdad, was recently retaken by Iraqi forces, but the full extent of the war crimes that have been inflicted upon people continues to be documented.

There have been several mass graves uncovered across Iraq and Syria over the past couple of years. Satellite images released in July, for instance, showed the blood-soaked ground where over 1,700 Iraqi soldiers were massacred in Tikrit in June 2014.

Iraqi health officials have described their horror at the atrocities they have found in cities liberated from IS, such as Tikrit.

“It was a heartbreaking scene. We couldn’t prevent ourselves from breaking down in tears. What savage barbarian could kill 1,700 persons in cold blood?” Khalid al-Atbi, an Iraqi health official, asked in April.

In December, the U.N. said that at least 16 mass graves were uncovered in the Iraqi town of Sinjar, which was liberated in November.

Beside mass graves, IS is also infamous for its beheading videos and severe persecution of minorities, particularly Christians and Yazidis, capturing and killing thousands of people from such communities in the past couple of years.

The U.N. report, compiled by the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that IS’ victims include “those perceived to be opposed to ISIL’s ideology and rule; persons affiliated with the government, such as former Iraqi security forces, police officers, former public officials and electoral workers; professionals, such as doctors and lawyers; journalists; and tribal and religious leaders.”

The report also accused IS of establishing self-appointed courts that have ordered the murder of countless people, and have imposed punishments such as stonings and amputations.

Source : Christian Post

Historic Underground Church Excavated in Turkey Depicts ‘Christ Destroying the Devil’s Soul’

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Historic Underground Church Excavated in Turkey Depicts ‘Christ Destroying the Devil’s Soul’

Christian Post Report – The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St Nicholas in Nice in this undated photo.

A historic underground church excavated in the Cappadocia region of Central Anatolia in Turkey reportedly has frescoes depicting Jesus Christ destroying the devil’s soul, which archaeologists say is a very important find relevant to the Orthodox tradition.

“We know that such frescoes have so far never been seen in any other church,” Nevşehir Mayor Hasan Ünver said, according to Anadolu Agency, noting that the building could date back to the fifth century A.D.

“This place is even bigger than the other historical churches in Cappadocia. It was built underground and has original frescoes that have survived to this day,” he added.

The rock-carved church was reportedly uncovered during excavations and cleaning work in an underground city as part of the Nevşehir Castle Urban Transformation Project.

Daily Sabah reported that the frescoes inside the church, which have been well-preserved and appear to date back to the 12th or 13th centuries, illustrate ‘Jesus Christ’s ascension and his destruction of the devil’s soul.’

“The team continues to clean the area, and believes more interesting findings will come up. Some illustrations can be unique to just this church,” Ünver said.

The ancient church was found in a massive underground city that archeologists discovered in March 2015, according to the National Geographic.

The massive 360,000 square meters area also includes waterways, passages, and the remains of other carved rooms.

The site reportedly dates back to Byzantine times, with initial studies at the time suggesting that it could have housed up to 20,000 people, comparable to Derinkuyu, which is the largest excavated underground city in Cappadocia.

Ünver talked more about the frescoes and said that they appear very much to be unique.

“There are exciting depictions like fish falling from the hand of Jesus Christ, him rising up into the sky, and the bad souls being killed. When the church is completely revealed, Cappadocia could become an even bigger pilgrimage center of Orthodoxy,” the mayor added.

Archaeologist Semih İstanbulluoğlu explained that the frescoes had to be collected one by one, since the church is filled with earth.

“The structure was found a short time ago. The frescoes on the walls will return to their original look after restoration and cleaning work,” İstanbulluoğlu said.

Fellow archaeologist Ali Aydın added that workers are being very careful to preserve the frescoes and make sure that they do not lose their features. The thin walls of the church actually collapsed due to snow and rain, but are set to be restored at a later date.

“We have stopped work in order to protect the wall paintings and the church. When the weather gets warmer in the spring, we will wait for humidity to evaporate and then we will start removing the earth,” Aydın said.

He revealed that some of the other frescoes show the Apostles, the saints, and prophets such as Moses and Elyesa.

Source : Christian Post

Pope Francis Asks Protestants for Forgiveness for Catholic Mistakes

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Pope Francis Asks Protestants for Forgiveness for Catholic Mistakes

Christian Post Report – Pope Francis blesses an inmate as he meets with prisoners at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia.

Roman Catholic Church leader Pope Francis has asked Christians of other traditions to forgive Catholics who have offended them in the past, and called on Catholics to offer the same in return.

“As Bishop of Rome and pastor of the Catholic Church, I want to ask for mercy and forgiveness for the behavior of Catholics towards Christians of other Churches which has not reflected Gospel values,” Francis said at the closing Vespers of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in the Basilica of St. Paul earlier this week.

“At the same time, I invite all Catholic brothers and sisters to forgive if they, today or in the past, have been offended by other Christians. We cannot cancel out what has happened, but we do not want to let the weight of past faults continue to contaminate our relationships.”

The pontiff, who has often preached about the need for Christians to be united, began his homily with the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:9:

“I am the least of the Apostles … because I persecuted the Church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace in me was not without effect.”

The pope talked at length about the nature of forgiveness, and said:

“Beyond the differences which still separate us, we recognise with joy that at the origin of our Christian life there is always a call from God Himself. We can make progress on the path to full visible communion between us Christians not only when we come closer to each other, but above all as we convert ourselves to the Lord, who through His grace, chooses and calls us to be His disciples,” he continued.

“When Christians of different Churches listen to the Word of God together and seek to put it into practice, they make important steps towards unity. It is not only the call which unites us, but we also share the same mission to proclaim to all the marvelous works of God.”

Back in July 2014, Francis became the first pope to officially visit a Pentecostal church, where he again apologized for persecution of Pentecostals by the Catholic church, and reached out with friendship to Evangelicals.

“Among those who persecuted and denounced Pentecostals, almost as if they were crazy people trying to ruin the race, there were also Catholics,” Francis said during his historic visit to the Evangelical Church of Reconciliation in the southern city of Caserta, Italy.

“Someone will be surprised: ‘The pope went to visit the Evangelicals?’ But he went to see his brothers,” he added.

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Francis also met with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran on Tuesday, and the two sat down to discuss “problems afflicting the Middle East.”

The Vatican did not release specifics of the discussion, but said in a statement: “The parties highlighted the importance of inter-religious dialogue and the responsibility of religious communities in promoting reconciliation, tolerance and peace.”

Source : Christian Post

Trans-Athletes to Compete in Olympics Based on Gender They Identify As

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Trans-Athletes to Compete in Olympics Based on Gender They Identify As

Christian Post Report – Former U.S. Olympic athletes Gary Visconti (L), Bruce Jenner (C) and Peter Vidmar pose together before a news conference to voice support for Los Angeles’ bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, January 19, 2007.

The International Olympic Committee has adopted new guidelines to allow transgender athletes to take part in this year’s games in Rio de Janeiro without having to undergo sex reassignment surgery.

“To require surgical anatomical changes as a pre-condition to participation is not necessary to preserve fair competition and may be inconsistent with developing legislation and notions of human rights,” the IOC says in its new guidelines.

“It is necessary to ensure insofar as possible that trans athletes are not excluded from the opportunity to participate in sporting competition,” the IOC adds. “Nothing in these guidelines is intended to undermine in any way the requirement to comply with the World Anti-Doping Code and the WADA International Standards.”

The guidelines go on to state that those who transition from female to male or male to female are eligible to compete in the male and female categories respectively without restriction but they should have declared their transition at least four years ago.

The new guidelines are based on an IOC meeting in November on “Sex Reassignment and Hyperandrogenism.”

“I don’t think many federations have rules on defining eligibility of transgender individuals,” The Associated Press quoted IOC medical director Dr. Richard Budgett as saying. “This should give them the confidence and stimulus to put these rules in place.”

Budgett added: “This is a scientific consensus paper, not a rule or regulation. It is the advice of the medical and scientific commission and what we consider the best advice.”

Former IOC medical commission Chairman Arne Ljungqvist was quoted as saying: “We had to review and look into this from a new angle. We needed to adapt to the modern legislation around the world. We felt we cannot impose a surgery if that is no longer a legal requirement. … It is an adaptation to a human rights issue. This is an important matter. It’s a trend of being more flexible and more liberal.”

Transgender athletes were required to undergo sex reassignment surgery before being eligible to take part in the games ever since they were allowed to participate in the games in 2004.

Last year, former track and field Olympic athlete and television star Bruce Jenner revealed that “I’m a woman.”

Jenner said at the time that he went through internal struggles with being transgender. “I look at it this way — Bruce always telling a lie. He’s lived a lie his whole life about who he is. And I can’t do that any longer,” the 65-year-old former athlete said, though referring to himself using male pronouns. “My brain is much more female than it is male. It’s hard for people to understand that, but that’s what my soul is,” he added.

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, responded at the time by offering a solution to alienation from identities.

As Christians, “we should avoid the temptation to laugh at these suffering souls,” Moore wrote on his website. He added that the hope for Jenner, and others like him, “is not to alter the body with surgery or to flood their system with hormones.” The answer, he wrote, is “to realize that all of us are born alienated from what we were created to be. We don’t need to fix what happened in our first birth; we need a new birth altogether.”

Source : Christian Post

Donald Trump Confirms He Will NOT Appear on Fox News for Thursday’s Republican Presidential Debate

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Donald Trump Confirms He Will NOT Appear on Fox News for Thursday’s Republican Presidential Debate

Christian Post Report – U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event in Muscatine, Iowa, United States, January 24, 2016.

Donald Trump will “definitely not” participate in Thursday’s Fox News U.S. Republican presidential debate, Trump’s campaign manager has told the Washington Post.

“He’s definitely not participating in the Fox News debate,” the Post quoted campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as saying. “His word is his bond.”

He said Trump would remain in Iowa as planned and would instead host a event in the state to raise money for wounded warriors and other veterans groups.

Earlier on Tuesday, Fox News Channel President Roger Ailes said, “Megyn Kelly is an excellent journalist, and the entire network stands behind her. She will absolutely be on the debate stage on Thursday night,” according to The Washington Post.

Trump and Kelly have had a strained relationship after the Fox News debate host asked the presidential candidate about derogatory remarks he had made about women in his past.

Trump is scheduled to travel to Lexington, S.C., on Wednesday for a rally as the race for the Republican nomination heats up.

Source : Christian Post

Christian Singer John Tibbs Set to Release Full-Length Album ‘Dead Man Walking’

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Christian Singer John Tibbs Set to Release Full-Length Album ‘Dead Man Walking’

Christian Post Report – Poster Art for “Dead Man Walking”, 2016.

On the heels of the critically acclaimed EP Dead Man Walking, John Tibbs has announced that an album of the same name is set to release next month.

FairTrade Services will deliver the full-length debut by the Kentucky-born singer and songwriter that was produced by Ben Shive (Rend Collective, Colony House) and showcases 10 selections, eight of which were co-written by Tibbs.

Highlights of the upcoming album include a soulful title track featuring Ellie Holcomb called “Silver in Stone,” and a song called “Abraham” that was inspired by God’s faithfulness to the Israelites in Exodus.

The album also includes the song “Everything I Need,” which holds a deep, personal significance for Tibbs in light of his struggle with a lifelong speech impairment.

“The song says, ‘Though my weakness ties my tongue, I sing of every good You’ve done.’ It is exhausting to try to hide something,” Tibbs shared in a comment to The Christian Post. “Culture says you have to be perfect and have all the answers, but that isn’t a healthy attitude. I started being open about my speech difficulties in hopes that it would encourage other people.”

“There’s a lot of old school country and church hymn-influences in my music,” Tibbs added, noting his roots/rock sound. “When I was about 6 years old, my dad took a position at a church in Punxsutawney, in western Pennsylvania. Growing up there, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp and Tom Petty became the soundtrack of my youth.”

Tibbs will join Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Matt Maher on the road this spring. He has also toured in the past with Newsboys, Crowder, Tenth Avenue North, Unspoken, Gungor and Audrey Assad, among others.

Prior to signing with FairTrade Services, Tibbs was a worship leader at Madison Park Church, located near Indiana’s Anderson University. As an independent artist, he garnered an online community of more than 100,000 fans who helped crowd-fund two breakout recordings: Swallowing Death, Breathing Life in 2012 and 2013’s Anchor, earning national notoriety on NoiseTrade.

For more information about Tibbs and the Dead Man Walking album, visit johntibbsmusic.com.

Source : Christian Post

ESPN Suspends Bob Ryan for Calling Mark Jackson a ‘Bible-Pounding Phony’

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ESPN Suspends Bob Ryan for Calling Mark Jackson a ‘Bible-Pounding Phony’

Christian Post Report – Mark Jackson was fired as head coach of the Golden State Warriors on May 7, 2014.

The ESPN network has temporarily suspended sports commentator Bob Ryan for comments he made describing former Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson as a “Bible-pounding phony.”

Ryan, who was formerly a sportswriter for the Boston Globe and who now serves as a panelist on ESPN’s “Around the Horn,” was suspended earlier this month after he referred to Jackson as a “Bible-pounding phony” and a “con man.”

Jackson, a former NBA player and Golden State Warriors coach, was the focus of a 2012 scandal in which an exotic dancer tried to extort money from him after the two had an extramarital affair and exchanged nude photos.The NBA coach eventually went to the FBI after the extortion plot continued.

The former NBA coach is also an outspoken Christian who serves as pastor of The Love Worship Center International in Reseda, California.

During a Jan. 6 airing of the “The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz,” Ryan said that in reference to the Warriors’ playing ability, “I know if they had a real coach, not some phony, Bible-pounding phony that Mark Jackson is, when he isn’t even a legitimate Bible pounder, I know that they’ll be better off.”

When asked to elaborate on his comments, Ryan added: “Well, I’m sorry, but it’s the truth. And I can’t believe they took him back on that broadcast. Oh my God. He’s a con man, and he’s done very well at it. I’ll give him credit for being a great one.”

ESPN then released a statement two days later acknowledging Ryan’s comments.

“Bob’s comments were inappropriate and personal. We have addressed it with him. He recognizes he was wrong,” the statement read.

Ryan apologized for his comments this week, telling The Big Lead that he had an “intemperate, foolish outburst that I regret. I was treated very nicely by the company, and have told them that I will not do anything like this again to be out of their good graces.”

When it was revealed in 2012 that Jackson, who serves as a frequent commentator on ESPN, had been involved in an extramarital affair, he released a statement saying he was “embarrassed” and apologetic.

“I recognize the extremely poor judgment that I used both in having an affair six years ago – including the embarrassing communication I exhibited during that time — and in attempting to deal with the extortion scheme at first by myself,” Jackson said in the statement. “I made some egregious errors. I apologize for any embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends and, of course, the Warriors.”

“At that time in my life, I was not pastoring. Three years ago, my wife and I established a ministry,” Jackson added. “With deepest regret, I want to apologize to my church family. I was wrong. We must live holy.”

Source : Christian Post